Imports & ExportsStart exporting

Handicrafts

Export brass and art metalware

Moradabad-style brass décor, lamps, bells and tableware for gift and home-décor buyers.

Free to exportHS 8306
HS code
8306
Bells, statuettes, ornaments, photo frames and mirrors of base metal (HS 8306). Brass and copper kitchen and household ware is HS 7418.
Export policy
Free to export
Free to export under ITC(HS) Schedule 2.
Registrations
4
IEC, GST and those below
India’s exports, 2025-26
US$ 36.4 mn
to 85 countries

What is exported

Moradabad is India's main art-metalware cluster, making brass, copper, aluminium and iron décor, lamps, planters and tableware. Buyers are importers, gift chains and online sellers. In 2025-26 exports under HS 8306 were about US$ 36 million and under HS 7418 about US$ 63 million; the USA led both, with Saudi Arabia and the UAE important for household ware.

Varieties, grades and forms

  • Brass art-ware and statuettesMoradabad's speciality: figurines, candle stands, bowls and lanterns, often engraved or enamelled.
  • Iron, aluminium and mixed-metal home décorPlanters, wall art, trays and furniture accents — a large share of Moradabad's exports today.
  • Brass and copper kitchen and tablewareHammered copper mugs, serving bowls and barware; food-contact rules apply.
  • Bells, puja items and gift-wareTemple bells, diyas and brass idols, sold to diaspora shops and gift retailers.

Where it is grown or made

  • Uttar PradeshMoradabad (the "Brass City"), Mirzapur (brass utensils), Aligarh (metal statues), Varanasi (repoussé)
  • TelanganaPembarthi (Jangaon) — sheet-metal craft
  • West BengalBankura and Khagra (Murshidabad) — brass and bell metal
  • KarnatakaBidar — Bidriware

Export packing

  • Each piece is wrapped in tissue or foam sheet, then bubble wrap, and packed in 5- or 7-ply cartons with dividers; heavy items go in wooden crates.
  • Lacquer-coated items need anti-tarnish packing; add silica gel for sea shipments.
  • Wooden crates must be ISPM-15 treated; cartons must pass the buyer's drop test.

Who buys abroad

  • Home-decor importers and chain stores in the USA and Europe
  • Gift and souvenir wholesalers
  • Hotel and restaurant suppliers (copper barware and serveware)
  • Diaspora puja and gift shops

The quality buyers ask for

Alloy
Brass grade and copper/zinc content; lead content kept low for items touching food or skin
Food-contact safety
Migration tests under EU Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 (and the Council of Europe metals guide buyers use), US FDA rules and California Prop 65 for lead
Lining
Copper and brass drinkware usually needs a food-safe lining (tin, nickel-free stainless or lacquer) on the inside
Lacquer and plating
Lacquer thickness and adhesion (cross-cut test); plating thickness in microns; salt-spray hours (ASTM B117) for outdoor items
Nickel release
Items in prolonged skin contact must meet the EU REACH nickel release limit (0.5 µg/cm²/week)
Weight and finish
Weight per piece and finish (antique, polished, brushed) matched to the approved sample

Certificates

  • Food-contact test reportRequiredRequired for any item sold to hold food or drink in the EU or USA.
  • Social compliance audit (amfori BSCI or SMETA)Often askedAsked for by chain stores; plating and polishing units are checked closely.
  • Pollution control consentRequiredPlating and casting units need State Pollution Control Board consent; buyers ask to see it.
  • GI — Moradabad metal craftOften askedGI-registered craft; registered users can use the name.
  • ISO 9001Often askedQuality system; helps with hotel and hardware buyers.

Shipping, storage and shelf life

Container load

Packed in cartons with tissue, polybags and foam to stop scratches and tarnish; usually LCL or 40-ft containers. Heavy items such as cast iron can reach the weight limit of a 20-ft container.

How it travels

Sea from Mumbai/Nhava Sheva or Mundra via ICD Moradabad; air for samples.

Storage

Keep away from humidity and salt air; pack with anti-tarnish paper for unlacquered brass and copper.

What goes on the pack and carton

  • 'Made in India' on the item (stamp or sticker) or packaging.
  • Care instructions: hand-wash only, not dishwasher safe, re-polish advice for unlacquered items.
  • EU food-contact items: the 'for food contact' wording or glass-and-fork symbol, plus a declaration of compliance with the shipment.
  • Decorative items not meant for food: 'For decorative use only'.
Where to get it tested

Search the NABL directory for labs accredited for metals analysis and food-contact migration testing. EPCH's Moradabad office and the MSME technology centres can guide members on testing. Buyers often name a test house with labs in Delhi NCR.

Benefits of exporting this product

Where to register

  • EPCHRCMC for art metalware handicrafts.epch.in ↗
  • EEPC India (for industrial non-ferrous products)Machine-made non-ferrous metal products that are not handicrafts come under EEPC as per Appendix 2T.eepcindia.org ↗

Quality and checks

  • Food-contact items (tumblers, plates, serving ware) must meet the buyer market's rules on lead and other metal migration — EU food-contact rules, and US state rules such as California Proposition 65.
  • Lacquer and coating tests for tarnish resistance, if the buyer specifies them.
  • EU: General Product Safety Regulation duties for consumer goods.
How to start small

Work with a Moradabad workshop on a short range (for example brass bells, diyas and planters), shoot clean catalogue photos and join EPCH. Start with online marketplaces and small importers using LCL or courier shipments, and keep each design in stock to re-order quickly.

Where new exporters go wrong

  • Selling decorative brass as food-safe without a lead test — this can lead to a recall.
  • Tarnish and scratches in transit: weak lacquer and loose packing cause rejections.
  • Metal prices change quickly; keep quotes valid for a short, stated period.

Documents this product needs

Schemes that apply

Sources (6)
  1. Department of Commerce, Export Import Data Bank — India's exports of HS 8306 and 7418 by country, 2025-26
  2. DGFT — Appendix 2T: Export Promotion Councils and the products under each
  3. DGFT — ITC(HS) export policy search (Schedule 2)
  4. European Commission — Food contact materials
  5. EUR-Lex — General Product Safety Regulation (EU) 2023/988, summary
  6. EPCH — official site

Trade data

Indian brass and art metalware exports in numbers

From the Department of Commerce’s TradeStat, country by country. US$, Indian financial years (April–March).

Exports in 2025-26
US$ 36.4 mn
+13.4% a year on average, 2020-21 to 2025-26
Change from 2024-25
↑ +11.4%
US$ 32.7 mn → US$ 36.4 mn
Buyer countries
85
Average export price
US$ 10.39
per kg · 3,499 tonnes shipped · US$ 11.10 the year before
United States of America: US$ 19.4 mnGermany: US$ 3.2 mnNepal: US$ 2.1 mnNetherlands: US$ 1.9 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 1.1 mnFrance: US$ 690kUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 670kAustralia: US$ 600kCanada: US$ 530kSpain: US$ 440kSouth Africa: US$ 390kJapan: US$ 320kMauritius: US$ 240kSouth Korea: US$ 230kItaly: US$ 210kBhutan: US$ 150kMalaysia: US$ 150kChina: US$ 140kUnited States of America: US$ 19.4 mnUnited States of AmericaGermany: US$ 3.2 mnGermanyNepal: US$ 2.1 mnNepalNetherlands: US$ 1.9 mnUnited Kingdom: US$ 1.1 mnFrance: US$ 690kUnited Arab Emirates: US$ 670kUnited Arab EmiratesAustralia: US$ 600kAustraliaCanada: US$ 530kSpain: US$ 440kSpainSouth Africa: US$ 390kJapan: US$ 320kMauritius: US$ 240kSouth Korea: US$ 230kItaly: US$ 210kBhutan: US$ 150kMalaysia: US$ 150kChina: US$ 140kIndia
Where Indian brass and art metalware goes — among our 30 countries, 2025-26
2020-21: US$ 19.4 mn192020-212021-22: US$ 25.8 mn262021-222022-23: US$ 25.4 mn252022-232023-24: US$ 30.3 mn302023-242024-25: US$ 32.7 mn332024-252025-26: US$ 36.4 mn362025-26
India’s brass and art metalware exports, year by year · US$ million

The price cycle

India’s average export price per kg each year (total value ÷ total quantity). Highest in 2022-23, lowest in 2020-21 — a 22% swing between them. Keep this swing in mind when you quote.

2020-21: US$ 9.73 per kg9.732021-22: US$ 10.31 per kg2022-23: US$ 11.84 per kg11.842024-25: US$ 11.10 per kg2025-26: US$ 10.39 per kg10.392020-212021-222022-232023-242024-252025-26
Average export price of Indian brass and art metalware · US$ per kg · dotted = year in between not available

What next: a projection from the trend

The past trend carried forward — not a forecast by any authority. Sudden changes in policy, prices or demand are not in it.

2020-21: US$ 19.4 mn2020-212021-22: US$ 25.8 mn2021-222022-23: US$ 25.4 mn2022-232023-24: US$ 30.3 mn2023-242024-25: US$ 32.7 mn2024-252025-26: US$ 36.4 mn2025-262026-27: US$ 41.5 mn (US$ 38 mn – US$ 45.3 mn)422026-272027-28: US$ 46.6 mn (US$ 42.2 mn – US$ 51.4 mn)472027-28
India’s brass and art metalware exports and projection · hollow bars = projection, line = likely range
By 2027-28: US$ 46.6 mn

Likely range US$ 42.2 mn to US$ 51.4 mn.

Trend
+12.2% a year
Fit (R²)
0.93
Based on
6 years of official figures

Method: a straight line through the logarithm of yearly exports (log-linear regression); range = ±1 standard error.

Biggest buyer countries

By value in 2025-26. Change is against 2024-25.

Name2025-26Change
1United States of AmericaUS$ 19.4 mn+17.4%
2GermanyUS$ 3.2 mn+7.1%
3NepalUS$ 2.1 mn-3.2%
4NetherlandsUS$ 1.9 mn-9%
5United KingdomUS$ 1.1 mn+54.8%
6FranceUS$ 690k+15%
7United Arab EmiratesUS$ 670k+34%
8AustraliaUS$ 600k+20%
9CanadaUS$ 530k+20.5%
10NigeriaUS$ 500k+85.2%
11SpainUS$ 440k+100%
12South AfricaUS$ 390k-2.5%

Where demand is rising and falling

Only countries that buy at least US$ 1 million or 1% of India’s exports of this product. Change from 2024-25 to 2025-26.

High demand

  1. United KingdomUS$ 730k → US$ 1.1 mn+54.8%
  2. United States of AmericaUS$ 16.5 mn → US$ 19.4 mn+17.4%

Low demand

No sizeable country falls in this list this year.

Which forms sell, and at what price

India’s exports by 8-digit tariff line, 2025-26. Average price = total value ÷ total quantity (TradeStat): the average of every shipment on that line, not the price of any one deal.

Tariff lineValue 2025-26ChangeQuantityAverage price
Bells, gongs and the like, non-electric, of base metal — bells gongs and the like8306 10 00US$ 13.2 mn-13.8%1,119 tonnesUS$ 11.76 per kgwas US$ 11.47
Photogrph,picture/smlr frames,mirors8306 30 00 · Photograph, picture or similar frames, mirrors, of base metalUS$ 10.6 mn+18.9%955 tonnesUS$ 11.12 per kgwas US$ 11.23
Statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal other than plated with precious metal — oters8306 29 90US$ 8 mn+107.8%1,105 tonnesUS$ 7.22 per kgwas US$ 7.37
Other statuettes(excludinguding works of art)8306 29 10 · Statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal other than plated with precious metalUS$ 1.7 mn-24.1%118 tonnesUS$ 14.37 per kgwas US$ 17.13
Other ornmnt plted with prcs metal8306 21 90 · Statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal plated with precious metalUS$ 1.1 mn+28.2%101 tonnesUS$ 10.77 per kgwas US$ 11.96
Statuettes(excludingudng works of art) plated with precious metal8306 21 10 · Statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal plated with precious metalUS$ 840k+10.5%58 tonnesUS$ 14.44 per kgwas US$ 13.15
Statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal other than plated with precious metal — other trophies8306 29 20US$ 500k-2%19 tonnesUS$ 25.70 per kgwas US$ 22.65
Trophies plated with precious metal8306 21 20 · Statuettes and other ornaments, of base metal plated with precious metalUS$ 490k+96%23 tonnesUS$ 21.14 per kgwas US$ 19.54

The world market

Each country’s own recorded exports and imports in UN Comtrade, 2023 (the latest year nearly every country has reported).

World imports
US$ 2.46 bn
2023
India among exporters
#9
of 150 countries
India’s share of world exports
1.1%
US$ 31 mn
Left for others to win
US$ 2.74 bn
exported by other countries

Top exporters — your competitors

  1. 1ChinaUS$ 1.79 bn 64.6%
  2. 2PolandUS$ 143 mn 5.1%
  3. 3NetherlandsUS$ 128 mn 4.6%
  4. 4GermanyUS$ 111 mn 4%
  5. 5USAUS$ 53.8 mn 1.9%
  6. 6ItalyUS$ 52.4 mn 1.9%
  7. 7FranceUS$ 45.1 mn 1.6%
  8. 8China, Hong Kong SARUS$ 39.1 mn 1.4%
  9. 9IndiaUS$ 31 mn 1.1%
  10. 10SpainUS$ 29.6 mn 1.1%

Biggest buyers in the world

  1. 1USAUS$ 1.1 bn 44.6%
  2. 2GermanyUS$ 171 mn 7%
  3. 3NetherlandsUS$ 107 mn 4.4%
  4. 4United KingdomUS$ 104 mn 4.2%
  5. 5FranceUS$ 98.8 mn 4%
  6. 6CanadaUS$ 58.3 mn 2.4%
  7. 7JapanUS$ 54.8 mn 2.2%
  8. 8ChinaUS$ 45.2 mn 1.8%
  9. 9United Arab EmiratesUS$ 39 mn 1.6%
  10. 10SwitzerlandUS$ 38.5 mn 1.6%

Opportunity: what these countries buy from the world, and from India

Each country’s own recorded imports in UN Comtrade, latest year it has reported. The long light part of each bar is demand other countries are filling today.

United States of AmericaUS$ 1.25 bnIndia 10.2% · gap US$ 1.12 bn
GermanyUS$ 185 mnIndia 16% · gap US$ 155 mn
United KingdomUS$ 104 mnIndia 7.7% · gap US$ 96.2 mn
NetherlandsUS$ 113 mnIndia 18.7% · gap US$ 91.5 mn
FranceUS$ 88.1 mnIndia 6.6% · gap US$ 82.3 mn
JapanUS$ 53.8 mnIndia 1.3% · gap US$ 53.1 mn
CanadaUS$ 58.8 mnIndia 13.9% · gap US$ 50.6 mn
ChinaUS$ 47 mnIndia 5.1% · gap US$ 44.6 mn
United Arab EmiratesUS$ 39 mnIndia 7.7% · gap US$ 36 mn
ItalyUS$ 35.1 mnIndia 4.5% · gap US$ 33.5 mn

TradeStat’s 2023-24 quantities are double-counted, so that year is left out of the price. Sources: TradeStat — Export Import Data Bank, Department of Commerce · UN Comtrade database (United Nations Statistics Division) · Figures taken 29 October 2026.

Step by step

How to export brass and art metalware

India, led by Moradabad, is one of the world's best-known sources of brass, copper, iron and aluminium artware and home goods. Its main competitors are China, Vietnam and Indonesia for mass-made metal décor, and Turkey and Morocco for traditional metalwork. Demand comes from home décor, hospitality and tableware buyers in the USA and Europe, with a recent pull towards copper drinkware and brass hardware. Openings are in design-led tableware and barware, lighting, and furniture hardware that pass food-contact and lead tests.

  1. 01Design and sample

    Develop the design and make a sample with the exact alloy and finish.

  2. 02Test materials

    Test lead content and, for food items, migration from the lining.

  3. 03Casting or sheet work

    Cast, spin or press the pieces in approved units.

  4. 04Finishing

    Polish, plate or lacquer; check finish against the sample under daylight.

  5. 05Inspection

    Inspect for dents, scratches, uneven lacquer and wobble; AQL final inspection.

  6. 06Pack and ship

    Drop-test cartons, pack with anti-tarnish material, file the shipping bill and claim RoDTEP and drawback.

  7. 07Payment

    Advance plus balance against documents; insure credit sales with ECGC.

Meet buyers

Trade fairs

Questions

Questions about exporting brass and art metalware

Can I sell copper bottles in Europe?
Yes, but they must meet EU food-contact rules. Get a migration test, give a declaration of compliance and follow the buyer's lining requirements.
What is Prop 65?
A California law requiring a warning if a product exposes users to listed chemicals such as lead. US buyers often ask for lead-free brass to avoid the warning.
Why does lacquer peel after shipping?
Usually poor cleaning before lacquering or humidity in the container. Degrease properly, cure fully and pack with desiccants.
Which council covers metal handicrafts?
EPCH for handicrafts; EEPC India for industrial non-ferrous products.
Do I need to show pollution clearance to buyers?
Many audits check that plating and casting units hold valid State Pollution Control Board consents. Keep copies ready.
Sources (5)
  1. EPCH (Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts) — official site
  2. European Commission — Food contact materials
  3. ECHA — substances restricted under REACH (Annex XVII list with conditions)
  4. eCFR — 16 CFR Part 1303, Ban of lead-containing paint and certain consumer products bearing it
  5. NABL — search for accredited testing laboratories

Who buys Indian brass and art metalware

All countries →

More in handicrafts

All products →